Textron Aviation, exclusively represented in Brazil by TAM Executive Aviation, announced, this Friday (13), the delivery of the 3.000th aircraft of the Caravan family — the model in question, a Grand Caravan EX, was delivered to Azul Conecta, a regional Brazilian airline, subsidiary of Azul Linhas Aéreas. The 3 units delivered worldwide reinforce the success of the Caravan family and consolidate the model as the most popular turboprop in the world.
In celebration of this milestone, a delivery ceremony was held with the presence of commercial representatives from Azul Conecta and Textron Aviation, at the company's headquarters in Kansas (USA).
“The Cessna Caravan's versatility and reliability have made it the most popular aircraft in the utility turboprop category, with 3 now delivered globally. I am grateful to customers like Azul Conecta, who continually rely on the Caravan family of aircraft to fulfill their missions, deliver solutions and improve lives around the world,” says Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president of sales and flight operations for Textron Aviation.
“The Caravan is an absolute success all over the world, including Brazil, thanks to its unique features that are very suitable for operations in the country, such as robustness, versatility and the possibility of operating on short, unprepared runways — the majority in Brazil.”
“This significant number attests to the success of the Caravan family and Cessna's commitment to making aircraft that are suitable for all types of missions, in different environments. A source of pride for the factory, for us at TAM Aviação Executivo who sell the model in the country and, certainly, for each of the thousands of satisfied operators of the most popular utility turbo-propeller in the world”, says Leonardo Fiuza, President of TAM AE.
Conceived as a robust, low-cost utility aircraft, the Caravan was designed for use in remote areas with extreme climate change, mountainous terrain and difficult landing conditions.
The aircraft's versatility has made it known in all corners of the world, and the Caravan continues to be widely used in global markets by a variety of customers such as: government, law enforcement and military agents, air ambulance operators, cargo carriers, corporations and organizations. humanitarian.
In Brazil, the model appears as one of the favorites for operations related to agribusiness and also for regional aviation, thanks to the possibility of carrying up to 9 engers and a lot of weight, operating on different types of runways, reaching places where regular aviation does not reach, in addition to being able to be configured with an executive interior that provides unparalleled comfort, similar to many medium and large jets.
“This Grand Caravan EX will proudly fly through the Brazilian skies and connect our 158 destinations, many of which are only possible due to the utility and flexibility of the aircraft. As a longtime Textron Aviation customer with a fleet of more than 25 Cessna aircraft, we are delighted to be a part of this important milestone.”, says Flavio Costa, technical director of Azul and president of Azul Conecta.
It is worth noting that consumers can choose four models from the Caravan family that best fit their mission: the Caravan 208, the Grand Caravan EX 208B, the Caravan Amphibious and the Grand Caravan EX Anphibian.
Check out the Caravan family timeline
- 1981 – Cessna launches the Caravan project
- 1982 – First flight of the Caravan 208 prototype
- 1984 – Caravan 208 receives FAA certification
- 1985 – Cessna starts deliveries of Caravan 208
- 1985 – Caravan 208 is approved for flights in the amphibious version
- 1986 – Caravan 208B Super Cargomaster receives FAA certification
- 1990 – Delivery of the first unit of the Grand Caravan 208B
- 1998 – Delivery of the 1.000th Caravan 208 unit
- 1998 – Cessna delivers the new version of the Caravan 208, with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A engine rated at 675 horsepower at the engine shaft
- 2002 – Delivery of the 1.000th unit of the Grand Caravan 208B
- 2005 – Delivery of the 1.500th unit of the Cessna 208B
- 2008 - Garmin G1000 avionics become standard
- 2008 – TKS ice protection is now offered
- 2013 - Cessna begins delivering the Grand Caravan EX 208B with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine rated at 867 shaft horsepower
- 2017 – G1000 NXi avionics become standard on Caravan and Grand Caravan EX models
- 2023 – The 3.000th aircraft of the Caravan family, a Grand Caravan EX, is delivered. This time, for the Brazilian company Azul Conecta.
Street: Textron Aviation / TAM Executive Aviation
